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Konami confirms closure of its LA studio

Submitted by Paul Gardner on Wed, 11/04/2015 - 10:57

In an official statement released to GameSpot, Konami has confirmed that it has shut down its Los Angeles studio.

As a result of Konami’s decision to shutter its LA studio – which comprised the team that developed Konami’s latest ‘Metal Gear Online’ game – a few weeks before Christmas, nearly 30 staff-members have reportedly lost their jobs.

Konami had opened the LA studio as a new unit of Kojima Productions in 2013. The key responsibility shouldered by the studio’s team was to develop the online component of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which was launched earlier this year.

In the statement which Konami has provided to GameSpot, it has been clearly mentioned that Konami has decided to shut down its LA studio with immediate effect. Acknowledging the fact that the LA studio has “contributed to the recent METAL GEAR SOLID games,” Konami said that the studio is being shuttered because of “product development resources being restructured into a more centralized unit.”

The Konami statement to GameSpot further said: “KONAMI will continue its operations to support all METAL GEAR SOLID titles, including the recently launched METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Phantom Pain and METAL GEAR ONLINE. METAL GEAR ONLINE is still scheduled to release for PC Steam in January 2016.”